A Great Experience on the Colorado River

Rated 4.9 out of 5 based on 2000 customer reviews

TJ . - Colorado, USA | September 20, 2021

How to sum up such an experience?

My Dad decided to celebrate his 80th Birthday with his family on a river trip, and it was a fantastic celebration.

I am guessing most river trips are a pretty good time, but the Western River experience was A+. The guides were a huge part of our experience, and we miss them! These women and men were always hustling, always! They kept us safe on the river, set up camp, took down camp (including the groover!), took us on hikes, taught us all about the history and geography of the river, and were busy making us breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus snacks. From the moment we checked in at the hotel parking lot, our guides had a high speed/low drag system for getting us organized, and yet somehow, they made everything fun! The guides were beyond professional, they are just fantastic human beings! We were on Cadin's trip, with Laura Alice, Liam, Meg, Dylan, and the 2 Jakes.

Being on the river is such a great way to spend your time. There is no cell phone service, which was perfect. Being surrounded by the amazing rocks gives you a different perspective of time. Geology time vs. human time opens your mind to different perspectives and different ideas. Our group came together as strangers, but we were all friends by the end of the trip. We were amazed at how cool everyone on the trip was! It seemed like everyone helped us celebrate our Dad’s Birthday. That made the celebration even more special. No one wanted the trip to end! We all shared our contact info so the group could stay in touch.

The meals were incredible! We had tasty, nutritious food all throughout our trip. I cannot imagine how much work goes into all the purchasing, storing, packing, etc. all the food necessary to feed a group our size for multiple days in the summer heat. The guides made it look easy, but I know a lot of work went into keeping our meals cold until it was time to cook everything. We always had plenty of food, and the meals felt like they were well balanced, nutritious, and tasty!!!

A big surprise that amazed me about our trip was how cool the flight back to Moab was! My Dad and I have been going to Moab since the early 90's, but we had never seen the area from a small plane. It was amazing to fly over Canyonlands and see the topography, plus the confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers! Our pilot was fantastic, and he took extra care of those in the group that were not excited about a flight in a small plane. Just like everyone else we met from Western River, the pilots were great. Courteous, professional, and cool!

If you are considering taking this trip, I have a few pieces of advice:

• Read the packing lists Western River provides! If you bring the correct gear, you will be amazed at how little you actually need. I wore just about the same thing every day. Western River provides some handy videos that step you through what to pack, and why. If you consider their advice, you will be well prepared!

• It was hard for me to sleep! We were out under pristine dark skies that were unspoiled by artificial light. That meant that the stars were super bright! It was amazing! we even caught the occasional shooting star. I can't imagine how bright it would have felt under a full moon. The stars were so incredible, it was hard to keep my eyes closed.

• Speaking of sleep, bring a big bottle of ear plugs! We had several people who snore in our group (including me). If you bring lots of ear plugs, you will sleep better, and you can offer some to those sleeping near you in case you snore! Better sleep = better trip.

• Think about bringing a journal, especially if you don’t journal! Experiencing the river was a very thoughtful experience for me. It is worth trying to capture all the thoughts and perspectives you experience on the river.

I hope this review can help others! It is hard to describe such a powerful experience out on the beauty of the river. We certainly enjoyed being together as a family and making new friends.